- Isaiah prophecies good tidings for Israel, including the curing of the blind and deaf.
- James insists that people practice patience and not complain.
- John the Baptists inquires if Jesus really is the Messiah.
Estimated Time: Three Minutes
Today’s readings present us with something of a riddle. One thing you have to appreciate is that Messianic expectation was running high during Jesus’ time period. There are various prophecies, most notably from the book of Daniel which pointed to His era. Now, at the beginning of the Gospels, John the Baptist seems rather certain that Jesus is the expected Messiah. And yet here he is in prison, sending his disciples to find out if it was really true. What happened?
Opinions vary. Some pious commentators will say this was John’s roundabout way of directing his disciples to join up with Jesus. But the far more common opinion is that John is that John was experiencing real doubts. It was common to expect that the Messiah was going to kick out the Romans and restore Israel to its former glory. And not without good reason! If you heard our first reading, it sounds like a returning springtime for the kingdom of David. So here is John, rotting away in prison, and the man he thought was the Messiah is engaging in an itinerant preaching ministry instead of restoring the kingdom. He’s even telling people to pay their taxes to the Romans! This isn’t turning out the way he thought it would.
Jesus’ response is filled with understanding. He directs John’s expectations to the other statements about the Messiah which we find in our first reading and in the psalm. The Lord gives sight to the blind, raises the dead, makes the crippled walk. That was what John should have been looking for. The Lord wasn’t restoring an earthly kingdom according to the mold of Davidic monarchies. He was laying the foundation of the Church. A Church which would grow like a mustard tree into a kingdom that would transcend borders and nationalities. A kingdom built on truth, faith, hope, and love.
Does Jesus criticize John for having doubts? Not at all: Jesus goes on to praise him, to say he’s the greatest born of women. This should be an enormous encouragement for us. It is natural to experience doubts when we undergo unexpected hardships in life. It’s not a good thing, but Jesus’ response shows us that the Lord understands. He sympathizes. He doesn’t think any less of us.
At the same time, the readings – particularly the second reading – encourage us to be patient. If you find yourself in a terrible struggle, the Lord has not forgotten you. I’d encourage all of you to look up the conversion story of a man named Roy Schoeman – a man who was a Jew, then an Atheist, then a Catholic. He describes an experience – a unique grace – in which God revealed to him how much He cares for each one of us. Like a doting father. Intimately concerned with everything in our lives.
In the end, the Kingdom which Jesus was bringing about was far greater than the one John the Baptist had in mind. No matter what happens in our lives, the Lord is doing something good.
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